MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's baseball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and survived some anxious moments in the ninth for a 10-9 victory over Midwest Conference front-runner Lawrence Friday night at Ash Park Field.
 
The Rams (10-15 overall, 5-5 MWC) carry momentum into Saturday's noon doubleheader at home against Lawrence (13-7 overall, 8-2 MWC), which slipped into second place in the league race.
 
The Vikings plated five runs in the top of the eighth to take a 9-8 lead. Cornell reliever Carter Kriegel (2-4) prevented further damage with a bases-loaded strikeout to end the inning.
 
Center fielder Josiah Shaw started Cornell's comeback in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff single, his third hit of the game. Shaw came around with the tying run on an opposite-field hit by freshman Seth Beals.
 
Beals stole second and then scored the go-ahead run on a hit by James Kent through the right side, putting Cornell up 10-9.
 
Junior right-hander Preston Wright came on in the ninth and earned a hard-earned save after the Vikings mounted a serious threat in their final at-bat. Lawrence had the bases loaded with two outs when Wright induced a ground ball to the shortstop for a game-ending force out at second.
 
Beals finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs. He singled home two during Cornell's six-run fourth inning that pushed the Rams ahead 6-2.
 
Drew Logel and Colin Konicek added two hits apiece. Shaw scored two times.
 
Kole Hinrichsen gave the Rams a quality start on the mound, yielding four runs and striking out eight over seven innings.
 
Lawrence outhit the Rams, 16-13. The Vikings stranded 14 total runners, including the bases loaded in the final two innings.